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Synthetic ropes are increasingly favored for use in offshore systems. Accurate predictions of the coupled hydrodynamic performance and structural response of offshore structures depends on a thorough understanding of the nonlinear characteristics of fiber materials. The objective of this study is to experimentally characterize the stiffness of a polyester mooring rope for a cylindrical floating production storage and offloading system. The quasi-static stiffness of the ropes and aged ropes after installation and the dynamic stiffness in various loading conditions were computed based on sub-rope tests following the guidelines from the American Bureau of Shipping. The quasi-static stiffness curves exhibited a linear decrease in values as the logarithm of the loading period (in minutes) increased. The dynamic stiffness was, in general, much higher than the quasi-static stiffness. The dynamic stiffness under various loading conditions revealed the complexities of the mechanical properties of polyester rope. Parameters such as the mean load, load amplitude, loading period, and loading cycles all had a notable impact. More tests are required to have a better understanding of their effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are many controversies over the necessity of monitoring gastric residual volume in the nursing care of enteral nutrition. We aimed to conduct an updated meta‐analysis to evaluate the effects of monitoring or not monitoring gastric residual volume on patients' outcomes and complications. Methods: We searched the Cochrane Library database to 15 April 2021 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of gastric residual volume and no gastric residual volume monitoring. Review Manager software was used for data analysis. Results: A total of seven RCTs involving 1240 enteral nutrition patients were included. Gastric residual volume monitoring was associated with reduced incidence of vomiting (OR2.33, 95% CI:1.68–3.24), whereas no gastric residual volume monitoring was associated with reduced incidence of unnecessary interruptions of enteral nutrition (OR0.38,95% CI:0.26–0.55). There were no significant differences on the incidence of abdominal distention (OR1.87, 95% CI:0.82–4.28), diarrhoea (OR1.03,95% CI:0.74–1.43), VAP (OR0.83, 95%CI:0.37–1.89), duration of mechanical ventilation (MD −0.06,95% CI:−1.22–1.10), length of ICU stay (MD −1.33, 95% CI:−3.58–0.91) and mortality (OR0.90,95% CI:0.61–1.34). Conclusions: Not monitoring gastric residual volume is associated with reduced unnecessary interruptions of enteral nutrition related to inadequate feeding and increased risk of vomiting. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Enteral nutrition is vital to the prognosis of critically ill patients.Monitoring the gastric residual volume has been used for the safety of enteral nutrition.The role of gastric residual volume monitoring in critically ill patients remains unclear. What this paper adds? Monitoring gastric residual volume is associated with reduced incidence of vomiting.Not monitoring gastric residual volumes may reduce unnecessary interruptions of enteral nutrition.There are no significant differences on the incidence of abdominal distention, diarrhoea, VAP, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay and mortality between patients with or without gastric residual volume monitoring. The implications of this paper: Omission of gastric residual volume monitoring may result in more complete delivery of prescribed enteral nutrition and hence of better nutritional support / status for these patients.The role of gastric residual volume monitoring on enteral safety and nutritional intake of ICU patient needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goals: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease. The α enolase is a nuclear glycolytic enzyme. Antibodies to citrullinated-enolase peptide1(anti-CEP-1) are found in approximately 40% of patients with RA, but the diagnostic value of anti-CEP-1 for RA is not clear., Methods: We enrolled 282 patients with RA according to the 2010 ACR Classification criteria, referred to the department of Rheumatology in Peking University Third Hospital, 120 sex- and age-matched healthy donors (HD), and 30 patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Anti-CEP-1 IgG antibodies were assessed with a commercially available ELISA kit (Euroimmun, Germany) according to the manufacturers' instructions. Anti-CCP antibodies were assessed with ECLIA (Roche, Germany). Data was processed with SPSS 19. The scatter diagram was drawn in GraphPad Prism., Results: The specificity and sensitivity was 83.3% and 65.2%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 88% and the negative predictive value was 56%. The AUC of anti-CEP1 for diagnosis of RA is 0.80, while that of Anti-CCP is 0.919; the value of anti-CCP combined with anti-CEP1 is 0.914. Ten anti-CEP1 positive results are found in 48 patients of RA with anti-CCP negative result., Conclusion: The anti-CEP-1 is suitable for diagnosing of RA, but not superior to anti-CCP., (© 2019 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.)